End termination for solid wires



May 14, 1968 c. E. NAPPLE END TERMINATION FOR SOLID WIRES Filed Oct. 31, 1966 INVENTOR Charles E. Napple United States Patent 3,383,128 END TERMINATION FOR SOLID WIRES Charles E. Napple, Rockville, Md., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretaryof the Navy Filed Oct. 31, 1966, Ser. No. 591,008 2 Claims. (Cl. 28783) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An end terminal for attachment to a wire having an internal bore for receiving the wire which is attached to a sleeve slidably received in the bore. A tapered collet, engaging a corresponding tapered surface of the bore, surrounds the-wire and grips the same when the collet is urged into wedging engagement with the tapered surface of the bore by a threaded plug which mates with internal threads formed within the bore.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

The present invention relates to end terminals for wires and more particularly to end terminals for solid wires for use in undersea deep mooring operations,

Present technological requirements for mooring electronic equipment and/or weapons at great depths on the ocean floor have posed problems in the design of end terminals for mooring lines. Since lines on the order of 18,000 to 20,000 feet in length are not uncommon it is necessary to utilize as light a line as is practicable for the necessary strength requirements. The mooring wires must have sufficient strength to retrieve the submerged gear from great depths and yet be suificiently thin and light to minimize weight and storage problems. Also, since great lengths of wire are below the Water surface larger diametcr wires create buoyancy forces that create problems in keeping the submerged gear stationary.

Further problems are encountered in that to attach an end terminal, such as a fork, eye, clevis and the like, to a mooring wire for the application noted above it is necessary that the connection between the end terminal and the mooring line or wire exhibit a high degree of holding abiiiry to insure retention of the attached gear to the mooring line.

As a consequence of the requirements for high strength, small diameter, light weight mooring lines or wires it is necessary to use relatively small diameter solid wire of high carbon steel. Mooring wire of this high carbon steel having a diameter of .080 inch has a breaking strength of 1,500 psi. and has been used successfully for lengths to 18,000 feet.

Prior art techniques for attaching end terminals to wires such as swaging, socketing, splicing and welding cannot be readily adapted to the design parameters required for small diameter solid wires and high holding strength requirements. Swaging wherein an inner sleeve of soft material meshes into the mooring line requires the use of a stranded cable to allow the soft inner sleeve to grip the mesh of the stranded cable. Use of a stranded cable is prohibitive since a larger diameter cable is necessary to achieve the same breaking strength of a much smaller diameter solid wire. In addition, splicing techniques are not applicable since a solid wire cannot be spliced and socketing is prohibitive since it requires a larger size to achieve high holding properties necessitating larger diameter wire and end terminals. Since design requirements call for small connectors, socketing is inapplicable to the desired requirements. Finally, welding, due

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to the high heat generated, changes the metallurgical properties of the wire and the end terminal and reduces the breaking strength of the welded joint making it less desirable as a joining technique.

Accordingly, one object of the invention is to provide a new and improved endtermination for solid wires.

Another object is to provide an end termination having a high degree of holding ability.

A further object of theinvention is the provision of an end termination particularly suited for small diameter solid wire. I

Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, these and other objects are obtained by providing an end terminal having an internal bore for receiving the wire to be attached. The wire is externally threaded to mate with internal threads on a sleeve :that is slidably received in the bore of the end terminal. A collet surrounds the wire and gives positive locking action within the terminal bore. A threaded plug and insert apply pressure to the collet to supply the holding pressure.

A more complete appreciation of the invention and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein the single figure represents a cross section of the end termination attached to a solid singlef'strand wire.

Referring now to the drawing, there is shown an end terminal housing 10, which for illustrative purposes is in the form of a fork terminal 11 but may also be in the form of an eye, clevis or the like, having an internal longitudinal bore 12 to receive a single strand wire 14. The wire 14 is externally threaded at its end, as at 16, and is placed in threaded engagement with a sleeve 18 internally threaded, as at 20, which is slidingly regeived within the bore 12. The bore 12 has a tapered portion 22 in one end to act as an abutting surface for a tapered split collet 24 that surrounds and grips the wire 14. The rear end 26 of the collet 24 abuts the end 28 of sliding sleeve 18 such that movement of the sleeve 18 against the collet 24 forces the collet into wedging engagement with the tapered portion 22 of the bore 12 and causes the collet to contract around and firmly grip wire 14. A resilient plastic member such as nylon or polytetrafluoroethylene insert 30 is slidably disposed within bore 12 and abuts against the end 32 of sleeve 18 and is forced against the sleeve 18 by a compressive force provided by a threaded plug 34 that mates with internal threads 36 formed within the bore 12. By engaging plug 34 against insert 30 the sleeve 18 is forced against collet 24 thus applying a substantial holding force to the wire 14.

To assemble the end terminal housing 10 to wire 14 the wire is inserted into bore 12, the collet 24 is slipped over the wire and the sleeve 18 is engaged over the threaded end 16 of wire 14. The wire is then retracted within the terminal bore 12 until the collet abuts tapered portion 22. Insert 30 is then disposed within the bore 12 adjacent sleeve 18 and plug 34 is inserted and engaged to force the collet 24 tightly against the tapered portion 22 of the bore 12 to apply maximum holding force to the wire 14. The compressive force resulting by successive engagement of plug 34 is transmitted to the sleeve 18 and collet 24 through the insert 30.

Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.

What is claimed is:

1. An end terminal for connection to a wire comprising:

a terminal housing having a longitudinal bore therein,

said longitudinal bore tapered along a portion of the 1 length thereof adjacent one end and threaded adja-W H cent the other end,

tapered split collet means positioned within said tapered portion of said bore for surrounding the wire and tightly gripping the same when said collet means is forced into Wedging engagement with said tapered portion of said bore,

sleeve means positioned adjacent said collet means within said longitudinal bore,

means on said sleeve means for attaching the wire to said sleeve means,

a resilient plastic insert means slidably disposed within said bore and disposed adjacent said sleeve means,

and threaded plug means mating with said threaded portion and engaging said insert means for succes- 4 sively urging said collet means into wedging engagement with said tapered portion of said bore. 2. The end terminal as defined in claim 1 wherein said sleeve means is internally threaded to receive a threaded end of the wire for attaching the wire thereto.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,403,553 1/1922 Horn 28782 1,950,317 3/1934 Luneburg 241263 XR 2,089,857 8/1937 Robbins 24126.3 XR 2,707,645 5/ 1955 Moskovitz 2879O 3,049,775 8/1962 Ondeck 24-81.35 XR EDWARD C. ALLEN, Primary Examiner.

ANDREW V. KUNDRAT, Assistant Examiner. 

